The Therm-A-Rest pillow is an amazing little pillow. It is marketed and highly recommended as a lightweight pillow for hikers. I had purchased mine to meet the immediate need of a comfortable and easy-to-pack travel pillow -- with eventually using it for camping trips. And now, as it turns out, I have found that it is also the best little pillow for tiny home living! The Therm-A-Rest compressible pillow comes in a variety of sizes and colors. My pillow is the medium "denim" style. While I will be referring to that pillow specifically, each of the pillows are "compressible" and have the built-in draw string storage pocket.
Compressible for Easy Travel
I want the comfort of my own pillow when I travel. Even in hotels. It's not so hard to drag your own pillow along if you are taking a roadtrip. But you might as well forget about taking your own pillow on a plane. I have tried several different "travel" pillows that can be purchased in airports. You know, the kind that loop around your neck and are considered convenient for naps during flights. I hated them. I didn't like the material, the snugness around my neck, and it drove me crazy that they often gave my hair static. I have to admit that looping them around my carry-on handle as I boarded and disembarked was handy. But that was the only thing I liked about those travel pillows. Those annoyances were what led me to purchasing the Therm-A-Rest pillow. The little Therm-A-Rest pillow compresses and rolls up into it's built-in storage pocket. It is then small enough to fit into my carry-on bag easily. It was just large enough to fit behind my head or between my head and the plane window. I am including a video that shows just how small this "medium" pillow is when it is rolled up.
Lightweight and Durable for Hiking, Camping, and Outdoor Activities
While my pillow is the medium "denim" pillow, it is not made of denim. I suppose that is the color descriptor. The material is a durable - but comfortable - "brushed polyester". Because it is machine washable, it is easy to wash and dry after camping trips. I am not a true back-packer, but I carry a pack on many of my walks. This pillow fits nicely into my backpack. I've carried it along to the woods and to the beach.
Perfect for Minimalist and Tiny Home Living
Living in a small home can be a wonderful thing.But it is also challenging to downsize both the amount of your belongings as well as the actual size of each item. I spend time in a small camping "Shack" as often as possible and I plan to retire there. Space is limited. Between the air mattress, sleeping bag, and this Therm-A-Rest pillow, I am very comfortable at night. When I leave the "Shack", I place all of my textiles - and all other items that are tempting to mice for nests - into containers. The beauty of this little pillow is that it is wonderfully comfortable when in use and then rolls up to a small roll that takes up little space in the storage container. I imagine that tiny homes with miniature loft "bedrooms" would be the perfect place for these pillows. If I remodel my place to include a tiny loft sleeping area, I know I am already prepared for it.
Related Links: How I Stay Warm at Night. The cold weather sleeping bag I use in combination with this amazing pillow. Tips for Traveling Light. How to pack for vacation. The trick is knowing how to pack light.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
National Quilting Day
When: The third Saturday of March
Where: Celebrated worldwide
National Quilting Day was begun in 1991 by the National Quilting Association to celebrate all quilt-makers and quilt lovers and to give recognition to the special art form called 'Quilting”. It has evolved into a worldwide celebration, often connected with quilting shops with quilters getting together to work on a quilt.
Early records date quilting back to the 11th and 12th century where quilted garments were worn by the Crusaders. Not accustomed to the cooler climate and needing clothes with warmth, quilted vests were invented. These vests had 3 layers (top, filling, and backing) stabilized by a few stitches at critical points (called counterpoints). Counterpane quilting (decorative stitches only) evolved from these first vests. *Handmade Quilted Vest can be found in the Etsy Shop Couleurs Patchwork.
Patchwork quilting goes back to the founding of colonial America and filled the need for warmth and decoration. The cold weather and a rough life wore out the original quilts brought with the pioneers from Europe and the quits needed to be repaired ~ thus, beginning the “patchwork” quilt.
Later, quilting became a social event with women gathering together and cutting fabric into various shapes, resewing them to form a design. Many designs well-known today came out of these social circles.
Family Quilting
I can remember my grandmother spending hours at a time in her favorite rocking chair hand-sewing tiny pieces of material together for her beautiful quilts. Since she was an accomplished seamstress as well (making most of the clothes my siblings and I wore), we could often recognize several of the fabric pieces used in her quilts as being from leftover material from the dresses or shirts we were wearing). Fifty years later I still have some of her handmade quilts. A true treasure.
Quilting Has Evolved
Quilting is not just for quilt blankets these days.
CutePurseNalitieson Etsy creates fantastic machine quilted purses on her quilting sewing machine.
Green Frogs Fabric Lanyard
Kathie, an Iowa quilter, began making quilts and quilted wall hangings, then her quilting evolved to purses. When she opened her Etsy Shop featuring quilted purses, she used the word purse in her shop name; thus, Cute PurseNalities came about.
Over time, Kathie has added more quilted items in the form of coin purses and colorful fabric lanyards. She has a wide variety of lovely creations made in interesting fabrics in her Etsy Shop.
Quilting Today
Today there are numerous pattern books available for the quilter, as well as classes and quilting workshops. My creative daughter-in-law attends at least two quilting weekend workshops every year. She says it brings back the fun of the early days of women getting together in those social quilting circles.
So, take a class, get some quilting pattern books with templates for various designs, or get together with a quilting circle at your church or community center to enjoy the art of quilting and celebrate National Quilting Day.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
All I can say is it is about time. Or maybe woo hoo. Whoopee! Yay! Three cheers. Hip hip hooray!
Words cannot express the excitement I and many other women felt when they discovered that Anne Alexander's coming-of-age novel has finally, FINALLY, finally been reprinted!
If I had a bigger picture, I would share it in an attempt to convey the excitement I felt when I discovered this novel had been reprinted.
If you are just discovering that fact, believe me, it is true. I purchased my copy recently and finally was able to read this book, which I first heard of in around 2009 when I sold my only vintage copy to a very excited buyer on eBay. Unfortunately, my copy was sold and gone to the buyer before I thought to read it and once I discovered how popular it was with some of you I really did want to read it.
The original book was written and released in 1959 and I now know some of you read it and read it and read it again. It was a hugely popular success in school libraries and you thoroughly enjoyed the story.
I know that many of you have been waiting for this day since you first read the story a long time ago. The scarcity of copies of the original volume and the price at which those original volumes were selling put the book out of reach. Spending $500 to $1,000 on a children's chapter book was and is out of the realm of reason for most of us.
THE STORY?
It follows a grade nine girl's adventures in high school as she gives up on her good friends in an attempt to be in the "in" crowd. Growing up is always a difficult process and I believe this book to be a realistic version of how some teens would have thought and behaved in the 1950s. I am also sure that pre-teens and teens have these same concerns today though they likely transpire in a slightly different manner.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?
Yes, I would. Some of you who have waited will need no recommendation from me. This book is exactly as you remember it and I know that you are thrilled that it has been reprinted. It is a lovely story, a sweet and innocent romance with some very nice surprises.
It was written for middle-school readers so it is an easy but lovely read for an adult. As the author's daughter says in the foreword, "The original middle-school readers and I are grandmothers now...We are pleased that our daughters and granddaughters love the book as much as we did. I bet you'll love it, too." I am not sure if she was talking to me or not but I did love it and I am planning to reread it soon, something I almost never do. Will you be reading The Pink Dress?
You can find the reprinted edition of The Pink Dress in paperback and Kindle as well as the original hardcover version of the book on Amazon by clicking right here.
I like the artwork, too. I think the publisher or artist did a good job of making the book look fresh and modern but still referencing the 1950s. What do you think? Do you like the new cover? I suppose the other alternative would have been to recreate the original cover. That would have been a pleasing choice, too.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Use an Ultimate Cloth to safely dust and clean
the TV and other electronic devices.
Time for housework? Weekend chores? Spring cleaning? If you dread cleaning house, perhaps you're not using the right tools. Because I believe no one should hate housework, I decided to share this review and personal testimonial about one of my very favorite cleaning tools, the best cleaning cloth I've ever used, the Ultimate Cloth.
You've heard of microfiber, I'm sure. As great as a microfiber cloth may be, the Ultimate Cloth is better. Why? Because it does a better job of cleaning, capturing and holding onto dirt. The Ultimate Cloth is made from MiraFiber which consists of fine, synthetic fibers, smaller than microfiber, that are so tiny they work amazingly well to grab and trap dust, dirt, and grease rather than just pushing it around.
Another great thing about the Ultimate Cloth is that it's machine washable and reusable. In fact, the cloth comes with a 5-year guarantee. Use it, wash it, and use it again, over and over for years. I've had my Ultimate Cloths for nearly four years and continue to use, wash, and re-use the same ones.
Streaky Glass and Mirrors? You Need the Ultimate Cloth!
I like the Ultimate Cloth better than regular microfiber cloths and prefer them especially for cleaning glass and mirrors, the TV screen, and even the screen on my Fire tablet and my phone. These cloths work beautifully in the kitchen on our stainless steel refrigerator, stove, and microwave, too. I also have one dedicated to the bathroom where I use it regularly to wipe down the shower walls and glass shower door.
Dampen an Ultimate Cloth to easily clean smudges
and fingerprints from your stainless steel appliances.
Wet an Ultimate Cloth then wring it out well to clean fingerprints off painted surfaces such as walls, cabinets, or doors (inside or out). Our dog, Daisy, has a tendency to rub against the edge of the kitchen cabinet as she turns one particular corner so when I notice that the oil from her hair has accumulated there, it takes just seconds to dampen an Ultimate Cloth and easily wipe that greasy surface grime from the painted cabinet.
To use an Ultimate Cloth, always start by washing it out well (or run it through the washer) to remove any lint that might be left behind in the manufacturing process. Use a clean cloth dry for electronics, but otherwise dampen it slightly and wring it out well for most other surfaces.
Note that the cloth itself won't scratch, but never rub any surface with a cloth that has gotten especially dirty or has been used to clean greasy surfaces or if the cloth might have picked up any solid particles which could scratch the surface you want to use it on.
When you order, buy an extra pack of Ultimate Cloths to use on the car. Dedicate one to cleaning the windows, dusting the dashboard, or cleaning leather or vinyl surfaces inside. Use another when you wash the outside of the car. They work really well to clean hub caps, too, but don't re-use the same cloth on the paint until you've washed the cloth well to remove any grime or grease.
While the Ultimate Cloth can be used dry for some surfaces (like electronics screens) and cleans well with just water for most other surfaces, if you prefer to use a spray or other chemical cleaner on some surfaces, that's fine. Just remember to throw the cloth in the wash when you're finished so you don't accidentally use the chemical on a surface where you shouldn't.
The following under 3-minute video provides lots of information and will probably answer most of your questions about MiraFiber, so I'd suggest you watch it to learn more.
Machine Washable. Bleachable. Comes With a 5-Year Warranty.
Use this link to order a set of two Ultimate Cloths from Vat19. Since that company charges a flat shipping rate, you might want to order a couple of packs or more (they actually make a thoughtful gift) to have on hand.
The price might seem high for a cleaning cloth, but I can honestly say that I've gotten more than my money's worth and I have no problem at all justifying the cost. And when I think how many paper towels I might have used in their place over these past few years, there's just no doubt at all that I've gotten my money's worth, and I believe that you will, too.
Thanks for reading my Ultimate Cloth review. I can honestly say these are the best cleaning cloths I have ever used and I recommend them highly.
Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
My curiosity led me to read this book about terrorist training camps in America and my concern made me write this book review of Twilight in America by Martin Mawyer.
I wanted to know the truth about claims that some Americans in rural areas may have Islamic Terrorists living very close to them, training for jihad. It seemed very far out to me. After all, it would seem that if people were actively training for guerrilla warfare in America, learning to make bombs, storing and shooting assault weapons, and putting armed guards at their compound entrances, the FBI would put a stop to it.
Twilight in America: The Untold Story of Islamic Terrorist Training Camps Inside America is author Martin Mawyer's attempt to show Americans what is going on right under the noses of local police and the FBI, neither of which appears to want to get involved. The introduction opens with the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. It seems Pearl was trying to get information about the shoe bomber, Richard Reed, who was said to have visited the jihadi cleric Mubarik Ali Shad Gilani in Pakistan just prior to his attempt to bomb a flight from Paris to Miami.
Later in 2002, the Beltway snipers began a 23-day killing spree in the Washington, D. C. area. John Allen Muhammad, the elder of the two snipers, had intended to wage jihad against Americans by kidnapping and brainwashing young American boys so that he could train them to kill Americans for Allah. Mawyer learned that the Beltway snipers had connections to Jamaat Al Fuqra, a terrorist group founded by Mubarik Ali Shad Gilani. Also see "The Beltway Snipers' Motives" by Daniel Pipes. To imagine what this must have been like for residents of the Washington, D.C. areas during the attacks, watch this documentary. It's long, but if you are a true crime fan, it will hold your interest.
Gilani is also the leader of the group Muslims of the Americas (MOA). MOA owns a Muslim compound of 200 in Red House in Charlotte County, Virginia, which is believed to have hidden the Beltway snipers. Is your head swimming yet? I haven't even gotten past the introduction to the book in the review so far. There is another article online, Jamaat ul-Fuqra in Virginia, Part 1 that even links to a map of a compound close to this and this article documents much of what I mention below.
Twilight in America: The Untold Story of Islamic Terrorist Training Camps Inside America
Chapter 1 leads us to Arizona and Colorado, where an alert owner of a storage locker company notified police of suspicious activity related to a locker on which the rent had not been paid for two months. He had heard of robberies in the area and thought maybe his locker might have been used to hide stolen goods. When police and FBI investigated, they found instead weapons and evidence of terrorist attacks already committed and plans for more to be carried out. One of these was a plan to kill the "infidel" Muslim cleric Rashad Khalifa, who had turned his Tucson home into a Muslim mosque.
After the plot was uncovered, police officers went to Khalifa to warn him of the planned attack, which had been written out in great detail on four pages. The cleric admitted he had gotten death threats from Colorado. About two weeks after the police had warned him, Khalifa was murdered in exactly the way he was warned it would happen.
This is shocking enough. What is even more shocking to me, though, is that the same storage locker that contained the murder plans and weapons also contained evidence that we, the American people, are being bilked by these terrorists taking advantage of our welfare system and using programs meant to benefit the poor to finance terror. They also used identity theft, insurance and other fraud to launder money to support their terror training activities here and to send money overseas to Gilani in Pakistan. These fraudulent activities cost American businesses and taxpayers billions of dollars every year.
Meanwhile, back in the compounds, in some of which live four generations of Muslim families in poverty, people in a position to know have stated that abuse of Muslim women and children is rampant. Some have been in these camps all their lives, getting all their education in the camps. An informant for the New York Police lived in one camp where he saw children beaten with sticks and women tied to trees and hit with sticks or lashed for not obeying commands of Gilani or for trying to leave.
This review just scratches the surface of the information that is included. It is well-documented. Pages 259 - 285 consist of just appendices and footnotes. The camps are not touched by the authorities, who say they have to respect the inhabitants' First Amendment rights. They can only act after a crime has been committed. Those running the compounds send those who are about to commit crimes outside the compounds to live in apartments in a city before they commit the crimes, so that if the police are looking for them, they won't be in the compounds and the leaders can say they were sent away because they were criminals.
In Twilight in America, Mawyer has researched the connections between Jamaat Al Fuqra, MOA, the Muslim Brotherhood, and acts of crime and terrorism in the United States. He believes these compounds are training terrorists on American soil by recruiting in American prisons and moving these prisoners to the compounds after release to "rehabilitate" them. There are 21 known camps, compounds, villages, and communes spread throughout the United States, mostly concentrated on the east and west coasts. There are similar compounds in Canada.
I know this all sounds impossible. That's what I thought, too. Before you dismiss it, though, read the book and examine the documentation for yourself. Even if you decide not to believe what you read, it's still a fast-moving story that could very well fit into the true crime category. Get the book, and decide for yourself. You also might want to get one or both of the DVD's by the author listed below -- especially if you live in Europe.
Europe's Last Stand: America's Final Warning, Part 1
North America is not the only place that needs to worry about Jihadist activity on its soil. This set of documentary DVD's on the rise of Islam in Western Europe reveals the Five Pillars of Islamic Conquest: Infiltration. Imams. Isolation. Islamization. Implosion. This DVD, Part One, focuses primarily on Infiltration, Imams and Isolation. The documentary took four years to make and required investigations in over a dozen European countries. Information cannot hurt us. We can examine it and decide ourselves whether it is accurate or just alarmist. Lack of information can hurt us.
Part Two focuses on the last two Pillars of Islamic Conquest -- Islamization and Implosion.
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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
